The 50th Grammy Awards will air Feb. 10, despite the tension as the writers’ strike continues to keep artists and execs at arms.
On Jan. 15, Grammy producers made a formal request to the Writers Guild of America Board of Directors for an interim agreement that would contract writers for the awards.
Just last week, the WGA announced that it would, in the least, not picket the event. The Recording Company has hence begun to coordinate acts for the show. The lineup includes a gospel segment featuring Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and the Clark Sisters. The Time will reunite, performing with Rihanna. The Foo Fighters head up the “My Grammy Moment” this year, creating a pseudo-orchestra comprised of three doe-eyed fans, John Paul Jones and the Foos that we know and love.
Now that the Writers Guild of America, West Board has accepted the agreement, Grammy writing regulars producer Ken Ehrlich and author-journalist David Wild will be putting down their signboards, at least long enough to script the show.
One difference between this and other awards shows is that the event raises funds that contribute to music in the classroom programs and career days for musicians, among other philanthropic endeavors. This seems to be one of the biggest selling points to the WGA.
“Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media,” WGAW President Patric M. Verrone said in a recent statement. “In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW Board felt that this decision should be made on behalf [of] our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.”
As for progress on the strike itself, reports of informal negotiations have covered the topics of web revenue and home video sales, but the picket lines continue to be an ever-present tactic. Reportedly 500 members of the Screen Actors Guild showed their support of the strike by joining forces outside of Fox Studios.
Regardless, so long as the awards aren’t hit with another soy bomb, things should go smashingly.
Related links:
News: Golden Globes telecast cancelled
Gigwise: Michael Jackson to perform at Grammy Awards?
Grammy.com
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